dais in front of the large windows, Eva used her height to her advantage, surreptitiously scanning the affluent crowd in search of—
Him.
A shot of adrenaline streamed into her veins. She held herself still, breathing through the jolt as her plan to find her mom’s friends faded from her mind. Her pulse rocketed when her eyes met and locked with the eye-candy she’d seen last week after her TarMor interview.
The muscles in her lower belly quivered as the man once again stared at her with the same intensity she remembered from before. He had tousled black hair, cut tight in the back but left a little longer in the front. His jaw and cheekbones were hard and angular, and that tuxedo-clad body was all wide shoulders tapering to a firm waist and long legs. Somewhere in his mid-thirties, the guy was per-freaking-fection, complete with an engage-at-your-own-risk aura that was as seductive as it was unnerving.
What was he doing here, on the other side of the country? And was he looking at her like that because he remembered her? Or did he look at all women like that?
Her breath caught when he came forward, offering her a gracious, almost old-fashioned nod. “Evening.”
His voice was smooth and deeeeep, and close up she was able to see his eyes were a lush mossy green. She blinked when the corner of his lips edged up. He didn’t smile. But his expression warmed slightly. As if he’d relaxed a little.
Even though she still hadn’t responded to his greeting.
Nice.
She cleared her throat. “Good evening.”
He glanced around. “Your date is either a confident man or a foolish one, leaving you unattended.”
She swallowed a lame, flattered giggle that should be reserved for high school freshmen and sent her gaze on a quick spin around before bringing it back to where it wanted to be. On him. “My date couldn’t make it.” Her pulse fluttered as his eyes went flat.
“Really. He’s foolish then.”
“She. And, no, she’s actually really intelligent.”
He raised a questioning brow. “She?”
“My best friend. She and her husband had plans, which prevented her from being my date tonight.”
At ease again, he appeared almost pleased by that. “I see. Well, I can’t say I’m sorry things didn’t work in your favor.”
Same. She cringed inside, offering Nika a silent apology. “Do you remember me?” She wanted to chew on her tongue when that slipped out.
Something flashed in his eyes before they narrowed, roaming her features with a familiarity that was heady rather than disturbing. “I remember you.”
Did he? Really? “From where?”
His chuckle was quiet, but she heard it. “Manhattan. Last Friday. In the lobby of the TarMor building. Blue-and-black dress. Black shoes. Your hair was up, like it is now, but more casual—”
She held up a hand while doing her best not to grin. “Okay.” He remembered her. He really remembered her. “I believe you.”
“Gabriel Moore.”
“Eva Jacobs.”
He enveloped her hand in his much larger one, and as a spark traveled up to zap her in the chest, something else unfurled inside her, coming to life, pulling to the surface, drawn out by this man who smelled like fresh rain after a thunderstorm.
“Champagne, Mr. M?”
Gabriel shook his head once to send the waiter on his way.
Eva barely noticed. She was lost in the moment. Their hands together. Him towering over her. Yes. Towering. Over her. He had to be about six-five, she guessed as he released her.
“Do you work at TarMor?” he asked, his gaze boldly, lazily tracing her features.
“Uh, no. I, well, I might. In the future. I was there for a job interview.”
“Did you get it?”
She sipped on her champagne. When she really wanted to chug it. “I’m not sure yet. I haven’t heard.”
He made a quiet sound in his throat. “Show me a man who could pass up the opportunity to stare at you all day and I’ll introduce you to his boyfriend.”
She giggled—giggled like that stupid freshman! “You sound like a friend of mine.” Caleb would have said something like that. “Thing is, this interviewer was a woman. I didn’t meet the man I’d be working for.”
“Excuse me, Mr. M?”
Gabriel turned his head toward the interruption, his tightening jaw releasing when the same waiter who’d passed by a minute ago stood next to them holding a squat glass filled with ice and a clear liquid.
He accepted it with a nod. “You’ll definitely be rewarded for your initiative, Liam. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Liam grinned at her, his eager look saying that had been the point. He